Stopping tumor escape to improve immune cell cancer therapy
Eradication of Escaped Variant Tumor Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
This project tests whether removing a molecule called CD39 from tumor-targeting T cells helps them find and kill cancer cells that change to hide from immune attack, aiming to help people who get T-cell therapies for cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Methodist Hospital Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11158794 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are modifying tumor-specific T cells so they lack CD39 and then giving those cells to animals with large, established tumors to see if the tumors are eliminated and do not come back. They will study how these CD39-deficient T cells kill antigen-loss variant tumor cells and whether they trigger type I interferon signals and recruit inflammatory myeloid cells at the tumor site. The team will also test human tumor-specific CD39-knockout T cells in humanized mice as a step toward translating the approach for people. These experiments aim to reveal how CD39 removal boosts antitumor immunity and whether it could support future clinical T-cell therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers who are candidates for or receiving adoptive T-cell therapies—particularly tumors known to lose target antigens—would be the most likely future candidates.
Not a fit: Patients whose cancers are not treated with T-cell-based approaches or who are ineligible for cellular immunotherapy are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to T-cell therapies that more reliably eradicate tumors and prevent relapse by targeting cells that otherwise escape treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Other engineered T-cell strategies have shown promise in laboratory and early clinical work, but removing CD39 to prevent antigen-loss relapse is a novel, preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Methodist Hospital Research Institute — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lu, Yong — Methodist Hospital Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Lu, Yong
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.